1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

Law enforcement officers wield immense power and must be held accountable through transparent identification protocols. Recent alarming incidents involving unidentified agents apprehending residents without proper uniforms or visible badges undermine public trust and enable potential impersonation by bad actors. The "No Secret Police Act" restores vital transparency by requiring clear identification for officers operating in California, with reasonable exceptions for specialized units. This legislation strikes a sensible balance between officer safety and the public's right to know who is exercising state authority over them. Proper identification is crucial not only for accountability when abuses occur, but to deter unlawful conduct in the first place. Officers operating anonymously with concealed identities face diminished deterrence against overstepping their authority when they cannot be readily identified. Moreover, the inability to distinguish legitimate law enforcement from fraudulent impersonators places residents at risk of being victimized by criminals emboldened by anonymity. For a democratic society governed by rule of law, the public must be able to identify state agents asserting official powers of arrest, detention and use of force. Allowing law enforcement to obscure their identities erodes this basic tenet and enables the very abuses of overreach the badge was intended to prevent. Enacting the "No Secret Police Act" is a vital restoration of transparency and accountability.